The Back Row of the Movies
by LaneIA
Summary: Alternative Ending: What if Colby had taken Liz up on her offer to go to the midnight showing of the movie?


Author's notes: Based on the episode with the movie being a copy of recent murders.

"How about it Colb? You want to got to the movies?"

He looked at the script he had been reading. It was a very gripping script dealing with a prison break-out. Having experienced first hand the actions and emotions of an escaping prisoner, Colby was interested in reading the conclusion. Looking at Liz he could see the excitement on her face. Obviously she wanted to see this movie. Hadn't she had enough of it over the last several days? "I don't know. I was hoping to finish this script. It's really pretty good." He gave a quick synopsis of the plot.

"Come on. It's evidence. It won't be going anywhere for a while." Liz wasn't pleading, but she really wanted the company.

It did make sense, but the idea of putting down the story was difficult. Colby was wavering between going and staying.

The decision was taken out of his hands, literally. David snatched the script from him. "I'm calling the supervisor at the detention center. I don't want this guy using this to escape."

Colby looked at Liz. "I guess I'm going to the movies. You driving?"

"Sure," she smiled. "Let's go. I hate to miss the coming attractions."

The car ride to the multi-plex was spent discussing the case and the movie that had replicated the killings.

Walking up to the ticket window, Colby was surprised to see so many people standing in line. "Wow! If it gets this type of numbers it should be a real moneymaker. Too bad he won't see any of the money."

Liz nodded her agreement. "If he realized that he can't make money on his crimes, maybe he would have thought twice."

"Probably not. I think he's going to enjoy his 15 minutes of fame." Colby pulled out his wallet and handed the pimple-faced adolescent his debit card. "Two please."

"Hey, I can pay for mine." Liz interjected.

"You can get the popcorn. Extra butter."

"You haven't been to the movies in a while have you Granger?"

"No. Why?" Colby handed Liz a ticket.

"A person needs a second mortgage to pay for the snack bar." Liz surreptitiously pulled a pack of M&M's out of her coat pocket. "I always come packing."

"I'm shocked. A federal agent sneaking in candy." Colby teased. "Maybe I should see what else you might be smuggling in."

"Hands to yourself. I am offering to share these."

"Great, but I still need popcorn and pop. I'll get the snacks, why don't you go grab a seat. It looks like it's filling up fast."

"Do you have a seat preference?"

"Not too close to the front. I hate getting a sore neck from looking up. Aisle seats are good; I can stretch my legs. "

"I'll do my best."

It felt like he stood in line forever. Finally with a large bucket of buttered popcorn and two cokes he made his way into the auditorium. He scanned the large crowd looking for Liz. A whistle made him look towards the top of the stadium style seating. At the very top he could see Liz waving at him.

"The back row?" He handed her a soda.

"Unless you want to sit in the middle of "teenville" this was the only real option. She motioned to the rows of teens. All of them seemed to be busy talking, throwing things or texting.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm not up for babysitting tonight. I still can't believe how many kids are out. Isn't this a school night?"

"Welcome to the real world. Didn't anyone in Idaho stay up late during the week?"

"Winchester rolled up the sidewalks at sundown. Besides everyone knew who was doing what and regardless of how careful you were, it still got back to your parents."

"That bad?"

"Closest movie theater was in Lewiston and that took almost an hour to get there."

"Talk about being out in the sticks."

"It wasn't the end of the earth, but you could see it from my front porch."

Liz reached over to the bucket of popcorn and took a handful. "You know this isn't real butter. It's just palm oil. Bad for your heart."

Colby slapped at her hand. "Then don't eat it. I'll run an extra mile tomorrow."

"Hey, if you want some of those M&M's you better watch out." Liz quieted as the lights dimmed and the first of the previews filled the screen.

Half way through the preview Colby leaned over and whispered. "You have got to be kidding. Those pretty boys are vampires?"

"Be quiet or those girls will kill you and feed your body to the werewolves. This is the second movie in the Twilight series. It's huge."

"You've seen it?"

"I wanted to see what the hype was about." Liz was slightly defensive.

"The hype would be guys without shirts on." He motioned to Jacob and the others filling the screen.

"It helps." Liz took another bite of popcorn.

They whispered quietly to each other about the positives and negatives of the various movies that were highlighted in the previews. With one last thinly veiled commercial, the opening credits began to roll.

Colby had to admit; the movie was good. It had just enough plot to keep it moving and a lot of suspense. Having seen several recent movies that passed for "horror" Colby had been turned off by the increasing amount of gore and carnage in them.

"She's going to die." Liz whispered.

"Why?"

"She's going to have sex with him and she is wearing high heels. Those are sure signs that she'll die."

"A morality tale? Sex equates to death." Colby mused.

"Just wait."

Sure enough, several minutes later the young lady now minus her virginity and shirt was killed when she fell into a pit lined with punji sticks. The slow motion scene of a sharpened stick exiting her mouth was incredibly graphic.

"Thank god we caught him. I wouldn't have wanted to come across that." Liz commented. She opened the pack of M&M's and shook some into her hand.

Colby reached over and helped himself to some as well. The action was starting to heat up, more people were falling victim to the killer. A young child was walking alone and the music was taking a creepy turn. Suddenly, the killer popped up. Liz was clearly not expecting this and she, along with quiet a few others screamed. As she screamed she also turned and buried her face in Colby's shoulder.

Slowly she turned back to the screen, her hands in front of her face with her eyes peaking out from between her fingers. Another surprise and the fingers snapped closed and her head again turned to the protection offered by Colby.

Sensing her discomfort, Colby put his arm around her reassuringly. _"Just a friendly gesture." _Colby told himself. He tried to put out of his mind the casual flirting that they both did with each other.

Liz settled into the crook provided by his arm and chest. She was silent as the young child was able to escape the killer. She turned to say something to Colby and found that his face was bent towards hers. Her eyes focused on his lips.

He had bent low to whisper a teasing remark about her being a "big bad FBI agent" when she had turned towards him. Her eyes were so shiny in the dim light.

As is by mutual consent both bridged the gap; their lips meeting. She could feel Colby's hand caressing her shoulder with a light touch. Feeling Colby's lips moving away from hers, she leaned further into it.

"_What are you doing?" _Colby's inner voice shouted. _Boss's ex-girlfriend. Don't do it Granger." "Shut up Granger. Go with the flow." _Another voice chimed in his head.

Somewhat reluctantly, both agents broke the kiss, their attention was suddenly on the screen ahead of them. Liz didn't even dare look over as she reached for the popcorn. She did notice that Colby's arm was still around her. Snuggling in she found it harder to concentrate on the story in front of her.

The movie was coming to a close and the inevitable embarrassment was coming. Liz had known it before. A guy shows he's interested and then he runs cold. She felt Colby moving in close again, his breath hot on her ear.

"So, can I take you to see this vampire movie?"

_Author's note's: Watching this episode I thought, "Colby, go to the movies! Then an old song popped into my head._

Did you boogie with your baby in the back row of the movie show  
And did you boogie there cause you had nowhere else that you could go  
And when the lights went way down low  
Did you forget about the picture show

"Did You Boogie (With Your Baby) by Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids. It reached #29 on the Billboard Charts on 8/28/76.


End file.
